HOPE – Some 600,000 square feet of Hope Public Schools classroom and other education infrastructure, along with 40 school buses, will undergo treatment to protect against the COVID-19 virus, and other pathogens, Aug. 3-4.
\r\nHenderson, Arkansas-based Ecovasive Arkansas Infection Control, the franchisee for Georgia-based Ecovasive Southeast Infection Control, will perform the treatment work beginning at 7 a.m. each morning.\r\n
\r\nThe Monday treatment schedule began with the HPS Administration Buidling; Yerger Middle School, 10 a.m.; Creative Action Team School, 1 p.m.; Hope High School, 3 p.m.; and Clinton Primary School, 5 p.m.\r\n
\r\nTuesday treatments begin with all HPS busses at 7 a.m.; Beryl Henry Elementary School, 9 a.m.; Hope Academy of Public Service, 11 a.m.; ABC PreK, 1 p.m.; other remaining facilities, 3 p.m.\r\n
\r\nHPS Superintendent Dr. Bobby Hart said the treatment will make the start of the new school year Aug. 24 safer.\r\n
\r\n“To say the least, we are excited to start our new year,” Dr. Hart said. “With doing so, we know it is absolutely imperative we do all we can to ensure our facilities are as clean and protected against viruses and bacteria as possible. Using Ecovasive allows us to provide anti-microbial protection on the touch surfaces in all our buildings for an extended period of time.”\r\n
\r\nGuidance from Ecovasive asks that all personnel be absent from each building during treatment so as not to delay treatment.\r\n
\r\n“Once a facility has been sprayed, a minimum of 15 minutes should be given for our solution to fully dry,” the guidance states. “Once dried, our solution forms an invisible bond with surfaces that is safe and durable. It can even be sprayed and wiped as needed without removing the bond.”\r\n
\r\nEcovasive uses a treatment known as PreventX 24/7 which is intended to work against pathogens such as Influenza, COVID-19, Norovirus, Strep, Staph, MRSA, E-coli, and TB, according to the company.\r\n
\r\n“The active ingredient in PreventX 24/7 forms a colorless, odorless, positively-charged polymer that molecularly bonds to the treated surface,” the company states. “When a microorganism encounters the treated surface, the C-18 molecular ‘sword’ punctures the cell membrane and the electrical charge shocks the cell. Since nothing is transferred to the now dead cell, the anti-microbial does not lose strength and the ‘sword’ is ready for the next cell to contact it.”\r\n
\r\nThe treatment is intended to remain effective up to 90 days, the company said.\r\n
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